1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for winding a strip material into a coil and for unwinding the strip material. The device comprises a winding mandrel having a shaft element and radially displaceable segments mounted on the shaft element. An actuation drive and actuation elements so control the segments that they are displaceable radially further outwardly or further inwardly relative to the shaft element. The device further comprises a rotary drive for rotationally driving the winding mandrel, with the actuation drive and the rotary drive being arranged on opposite end sides of the winding mandrel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generic winding mandrels and devices are known from the state of the art. As a rule, conventional winding mandrels are formed of a driven winding shaft that has, in the region of the winding surface of the winding shaft, a segment gearing which can displace expanding segments which are carried by the winding mandrel, in a radial direction. A related expansion mechanism is arranged on the rotary drive side of the winding mandrel and has a shape mostly of an expansion cylinder. Upon a corresponding actuation of the expansion cylinder, the expansion cylinder alternatively acts, by means of continuous expansion shaft which extends in a hollow space of the winding shaft, on the expanding segments arranged on the winding surface, whereby a radial expansion of the winding surface or a radial collapse of the winding surface takes place. Here, one should distinguish between different functions, namely, expansion by drawing or pushing the expansion shaft in the axial direction of the winding mandrel or collapse or vice versa. The transmission of the driving power and thereby of the rotation to the winding shaft takes place on the rotary drive side of the winding mandrel between the drive unit and the winding shaft. The drive unit is generally a constructively complex combination of transmission gears, couplings, and motors. On the non-driving side of the winding mandrel, the non-driving side or the winding shaft is supported by a suitable thrust bearing or the like to compensate high torques and loads produced by reel tensions and/or coil weights. The expansion cylinder of the expansion mechanism and the drive unit of the rotationally driven winding mandrel are integrated in a gear box, so that removal of a wound coil takes place by drawing it on the operating side which is located opposite the driving side. In addition, in particular with an unwinding reel of a similar type, conventional coil centering and coil centering regulation in the equipment should be considered. Here, usually the entire gearing, together with the winding mandrel and the coil wound thereon, are displaced to compensate for winding offsets in the coil. In such a heavy construction, some components or groups of components, dependent on their function, should be made stronger. Also with a winding mandrel formed as a free console, load calculation should be taken into account, that is when the load torque entirely acts on the gear as a bearing point. Thereby, the torque load of the own weight of the winding mandrel up to its position in the gear continuously increases. In a winding operation, for design of the winding mandrel and its support in the gear, additionally, the coil weight and the reel tension should be taken into account. This cumulative load necessarily defines the limits and the drawbacks of the construction according to the state-of-the art, namely the support of the winding mandrel in the gear box should be very large and, as a result, the reel housing and the gear become very large. In addition, expensive and complicated means for rotational oil feeding should be made available.
In many known solutions with a continuous winding mandrel, a respective expansion mechanism is located at the drive side end of the winding mandrel and acts, indirectly, through the expanding shaft on the expanding segments. The necessity of the expansion shaft always leads to weakening of the cross-sections of the winding shaft that should bear the load of the coil weight and the reel tension. This is a drawback, because the technological lay out of the winding mandrel and, as a result, of the entire apparatus is significantly limited.
In order to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks, there was proposed a further concept of the device for winding a strip material into a coil and that includes use of a double-expandable head reel. With this, the coil handling can be carried out in the line of the strip displacement. The logistic and technical advantage is obtained, however, at the cost of resulting technical and constructive drawbacks. E.g., in order to obtain a complete function of the device, all of the device components on both sides of the double-expandable head reel must be doubled. A smallest technical instability of both drives often leads to warping in the coil core which, in turn, often leads to a defective winding.
This technical drawback means that it is necessary, as a rule, to wind the strip onto a spool or to limit the strip thickness to thicker strips in order to limit the sensitivity. The winding mandrel designs, which are contemplated here essentially correspond to that of a continuous winding mandrel with all of the above-described drawbacks. Thereby, the flexibility and design possibilities of the device are smaller and, simultaneously, the equipment costs are increased. Auxiliary equipment such as, e.g., a spool handling system is absolutely necessary here.
Also, the idea behind the device concept involving the use of double-expandable head reel which consists in driving only one side of the double-expandable head reel, can be implemented only at small reel tensions which, e.g., happen during foil rolling. Already during rolling of thin strips, the reel tensions are so high that a two-side drive is necessary.
Generic continuous winding mandrels are described, e.g., in the following applications.
EP 1 157 757 discloses an expandable winding mandrel in which the expansion mechanism for expanding the winding mandrel is arranged at the winding mandrel drive side, wherein an expanding shaft extending from the expansion drive of the expansion mechanism, extends through a hollow shaft in order to be able to displace further radially outwardly or radially inwardly expanding elements mounted on the hollow shaft. In particular, the expansion drive is located on the winding mandrel drive side. As a result, the above-described drawbacks follow.
DE 698 00 408 T2 discloses an expandable winding mandrel for winding a strip-shaped stock in which an expansion drive, namely, a cylinder of the expansion mechanism is placed likewise on the winding mandrel drive side, so that also with this winding mandrel, the above-described drawbacks are brought to bear.
This also applies to a winding mandrel disclosed in DE 27 23 961 A1, wherein an expansion drive of an expansion mechanism is connected at the drive side end of the winding mandrel by flexible hose conduits to two blind bores in order to be able to displace hydraulically the expanding elements of the winding mandrel radially further outwardly or inwardly. However, the described winding mandrel is very expensive. In addition, the above-described drawbacks are also applied.
Further, JP 1 138 019 A (Abstract) describes a winding mandrel the expansion mechanism of which for expanding the expandable elements is likewise located on the winding mandrel drive side. Thus, the above-described drawbacks are also present.
The same applies to the winding mandrel described in JP 56-136 744A (Abstract) as there the expansion drive of the expansion mechanism for expanding the winding mandrel is also located on the winding mandrel drive side.
DE 698 00 408 T2 also discloses a winding mandrel for winding strip material with an expanding or collapsing mandrel in which a rotary drive of the winding mandrel and an actuation drive of the expandable and collapsible mandrel are located at the same end of the winding mandrel.
EP 0 140 872 A1 discloses a reel for winding sheet metal strips which includes a driven reel shaft and a hollow winding drum connected with the reel shaft, and wherein the winding drum includes an actuator-operated expansion mechanism with radially adjustable pressure elements projecting through through-openings in the winding drum. Alternatively, the actuator is arranged at a reel end opposite the rotary drive of the reel. However, the design of the reel, in particular, handling of a coil wound on the winding drum is relatively complicated.
DE 88 06 889 U1 discloses a winding device for a metallic flat strip material which includes a winding drum with expandable tension segments. The winding device includes a drive assembly with a drive shaft connectable with the winding drum so that exchange of the winding drum can be simplified.
The object of the invention is to so constructively improve the generic device that the above-mentioned drawbacks of the state-of-the art at least partially eliminated and the entire design is simplified.